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Digital formats

The advent of digital formats has meant that a lot more interesting publications can be produced, because there is no need for expensive printing costs.

Of course, this means that digital publications are cheap for you, the reader. And there are no shipping costs. Also, there is no need to wait for a parcel to arrive in the mail – you get your publication instantly.

Most of our publications are available in PDF format. This is very good quality and you can view your publication on your PC, Mac, iPad, tablet, etc. Most of them come with the Adobe Reader software but it is free to download if you need to. A PDF is usually a replica of the page, just as it appears in the printed version.

The file size is quite high – for example, a PDF of Skin Two magazine is usually over 33 mb. So you might want to store a few on your computer and load a few onto your iPad as and when you want them.

We are starting to introduce some of the newer formats now, such as EPUB and MOBI. These are not usually an exact replica of the printed page - they look different. The file size is smaller, so they take up less space than PDFs. They have more functionality - they often allow you to click on a link and go straight to another page, etc. Here is a brief guide to what format works with which device...

Fixed Layout EPUB only works on the iPad and iPhone but you may prefer it to a PDF. The pinch/zoom, page turning, etc is more intuitive and there's a navigable table of contents

One of the big advantages of eBook-type formats like EPUB and MOBI, as opposed to PDF, is that the text is scaleable and easier to read, especially on smaller devices.

To read them on PCs or Macs, Adobe Digital Editions is good, and the Readium plugin for Chrome is pretty good too. A lot of people really like Calibre, as it deals with a lot of the problems of loading eBooks on various eReading devices. Also, readers like it because it is a great library management tool. See: http://calibre-ebook.com/

EPUB files also work fairly well on iPhones and other smartphones, although they are not designed for them, so you do sometimes get a few blank pages in the middle of the publication.

These digital publications have single use license and cannot be shared!

We usually offer a choice of these formats or, for little extra you can get a zip file containing all of them. That's well worth getting, so you have a choice and you can put the files onto your computer, your tablet and your iPhone whenever you like